Before we get started, it’s probably a good idea to clarify exactly
which "Batman: The Movie" is under discussion, because – "Holy
plethora!", as Robin might say – there sure are a lot of them out
there. For the record, this isn’t the Tim Burton version starring
Michael Keaton, nor is it any of the recent animated renditions. This
is instead the tie-in version to the 1960s TV series, starring Adam
West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as his sidekick, the Boy
Wonder.

Anybody with vague childhood memories of the old "Batman" show can be
excused for groaning and eye-rolling – because if you’ve only ever seen
this as a kid, either in first run or on Nickelodeon repeats, there’s
something crucial you’ll have missed the first time around. Most people
remember that "Batman" was funny because it was completely absurd.
What’s not obvious is that the silliness – the straight-faced
earnestness with dialogue that could have come straight from Monty
Python (who were, in fact, doing the same thing in smaller doses on the
other side of the Atlantic during the same time period), the impossibly
fake-looking props and sets, the punches that never connected –is
perfectly deliberate. If "Batman" seems ridiculous, that’s exactly what
its makers had in mind. Strange as it sounds (what the heck, the
"Batman" folks risked sounding a lot stranger), on viewing with an
adult’s mindset, "Batman" turns out to be hilarious on purpose.

"Batman: The Movie" has the distinction of being one of the few films
based on a TV show made while the series was still in production (the
only other live-action example that comes to mind is "The X-Files"). As
West and Ward explain in the audio commentary, the "Batman" movie was
originally intended to precede the series altogether, but wound up
being shot during their first hiatus as a tool for selling the TV
edition overseas. The feature version differs from the TV edition not
only in length but in splurging on four guest villains simultaneously.
The premise of Lorenzo Semple, Jr.’s script is that the Riddler (Frank
Gorshin), the Penguin (Burgess Meredith), Catwoman (Lee Meriwether) and
the Joker (Cesar Romero) have teamed up in a bid to take over the
world, armed with a penguin-shaped submarine (watch for the little
paddling flippers in back), a crew of pirates and a completely
hare-brained scheme. The quartet are in mortal fear of having their
plans foiled by Batman and Robin. Luckily for the baddies, Batman is
oblivious to the fact that Miss Kitka, the Russian journalist he’s
sweet on in his secret identity as Bruce Wayne, is really Catwoman
minus her mask. Of course, Catwoman and her cohorts can’t figure out
who Batman is, even though she spends a lot of time with Bruce.
Director Leslie H. Martinson achieves precisely the right tone with the
screwy goings-on, letting the guest actors munch on the scenery without
ever letting any one gag overstay its welcome. ("Saturday Night Live"
could sorely use someone like this.)

The sound on the DVD is two-channel stereo that for the most part has
been mastered extremely well, although once in awhile there’s a volume
drop (a noticeable example comes in Chapter 24). The film also features
music and arrangements by famed band master Nelson Riddle, who
contributes some authentically snazzy jazz in Chapter 6. Chapter 13
features a slightly quaint but vintage-sounding rendition of Jacques
Brel’s "Plaisir de Amour" by a female vocalist that is supposedly being
sung by an onscreen chanteuse but seems instead to be sourced on an old
LP. Fans of this style of French balladry may wish to check out this
section. Overall, the sound quality is very respectable for a
restoration job on a 35-year-old movie and the print is handsome, with
nice bright colors on the vivid clothing. The back projection on
numerous effects shots looks washed-out, but probably no more so than
it did in the original theatrical release. The optical folks have done
their homework – there are virtually no matte lines to be seen.

West and Ward deliver an amiable commentary track that is present in
both speakers. The mix on this is a bit ambivalent – volume is way down
when either of the actors is talking, but the soundtrack doesn’t rise
substantially in the relatively long stretches when the two men both
pause to collect their thoughts. The "Batman" featurette consists of
onscreen interviews with West (who looks surprisingly similar to his
younger self) and Ward (who has changed more noticeably), interspersed
with clips from the film. For automobile fans, there’s also a
featurette all about the Batmobile with the car’s designer and builder
Bob Barris, plus stills from both the film and from West’s private
collection.

The humor of "Batman" is full of straight-faced sight gags (these would
include the performances of the good guys) like a dented shark that
attacks Batman in midair, clings to his leg for long minutes and
doesn’t even leave a run in the big guy’s tights. The dialogue has
surreal flourishes that probably would make the likes of Eric Idle and
Michael McKean smile. When the Riddler skywrites, "What weighs six
ounces, sits in a tree and is very dangerous?", our heroes mull over
this important clue. "A sparrow with a machine gun!" Robin deduces.
This is, of course, the right answer. This is "Spinal Tap" for the
superhero genre, "Monty Python and the Holy Batmobile." It is, in
short, a total hoot. "Batman: The Movie" was ahead of its time but
that’s the beauty of DVD – you can watch it now and finally get the
joke.